Its distinctive character presenting the great elementary principles of the relationships of God with man

Genesis has a character of its own; and, as the beginning of
the Holy Book, presents to us all the great elementary principles
which find their development in the history of the relationships
of God with man, which is recorded in the following books. The
germ of each of these principles will be found here, unless we
except the law. There was however a law given to Adam in his
innocence; and Hagar, we know, prefigures at least Sinai. There is
scarce anything afterwards accomplished of which the expression is
not found in this book in one form or another. There is found also
in it, though the sad history of man's fall be there, a freshness
in the relationship of men with God, which is scarce met with
afterwards in men accustomed to abuse it and to live in a society
full of itself. But whether it be the creation, man and his fall,
sin, the power of Satan, the promises, the call of God, His
judgment of the world, redemption, the covenants, the separation
of the people of God, their condition of strangers on the earth,
the resurrection, the establishment of Israel in the land of
Canaan, the blessing of the nations, the seed of promise, the
exaltation of a rejected Lord to the throne of the world, all are
found here in fact or in figure -- in figure, now that we have the
key, even the church itself.